W^2

I'm sure that the majority of all environmentalists fit this suit's profile: white, affluent, discretionary income, and will conspicuously drive a car run on a 40/60 blend of bat shit and corn ethanol. Environmentalism is for 'whites only.'

I wonder about my own case. If I were brown, I highly doubt I'd be blogging about saving the earth. This is my observation, and it is true. Every Mexican American I know couldn't give a shit about their environment. "The air's plenty clean enough" I've heard. I can't speak for Blacks, Asians, Middle Easterners, or Eastern Europeans, but I do observe: how many people within a 4-mile radius of 44th Street and 44th Avenue here in Sacramento drive a Prius? Exactly zero. And the racial makeup? Predominately brown. One might argue that this isn't a race issue -- all people are affected by the climate or the pollutant de jour. But isn't it?

Then maybe it's a class issue -- because only the upper middle class can afford PV panels, or hybrid technology, or home wind turbines, or energystar appliances. The environment isn't a concern for the upper class -- they, like the lowest economic class, both see it as just a nuisance.

I must explore this issue further. Is environmentalism solely the domain of mid-range wealthy whites (W^2)? Seems to me it is. And it seems to me that they are really only interested in clean parks for their kids and keeping their big cars running at any cost.